Mobile node, a control method thereof, and a mobile node control program

• US 20060003807A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Okajima, Ichiro, Inoue, Masahiro, Omae, Koji, Umeda, Narumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile node having two or more interfaces, a control method of the mobile node, and a mobile node control program are disclosed. The mobile node includes a generating unit to generate control information for each interface, an information providing unit for providing the control information provided by each interface to an upper layer, and a routing controlling unit to perform at least one of determining connectivity, and updating a routing based on the provided control information.

Claims

1. A mobile node equipped with a plurality of interfaces, comprising;

a generating unit to generate control information for each of said interfaces;

an information providing unit for providing said control information provided by each of said interfaces to an upper layer; and

a routing controlling unit to perform at least one of determining connectivity and updating a routing based on the control information.

2. The mobile node as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an information exchanging unit to exchange said control information with each of said interfaces;

an extracting unit to extract attribute information of said interfaces from said control information;

a storage unit to store said attribute information; and

a selecting unit to select one of the interfaces that has an attribute that suits predetermined conditions.

3. The mobile node as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said generating unit generates said control information based on a communication state provided by at least one of the upper layer and a lower layer, which layers are in a protocol stack of said mobile node.

4. The mobile node as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said selecting unit selects one of the interfaces based on a Preference that defines connection priority of said interfaces.

5. The mobile node as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said selecting unit directs interfaces other than the selected interface to turn off functions.

6. The mobile node as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said selecting unit, when selecting a new one of the interfaces different from a currently operating one of the interfaces, enables the currently operating interface to receive, and enables the newly selected interface to send and receive.

7. The mobile node as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said generating unit periodically generates the control information at a predetermined interval.

8. The mobile node as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said selecting unit selects one of the interfaces based on the priorities of said interfaces.

9. The mobile node as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said selecting unit selects one of the interfaces based on data packets received via said interfaces.

10. The mobile node as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said routing controlling unit performs at least one of determining connectivity, and updating a routing by causing one of the interfaces in use to switch to a connection state.

11. A control method of a mobile node equipped with two or more interfaces, comprising:

a step of generating control information for each of said interfaces;

a step of receiving said control information provided by said interfaces;

a step of providing said control information to an upper layer; and

a step of performing at least one of determining connectivity, and updating a routing based on the control information.

12. The control method of the mobile node as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a step of exchanging said control information with each of said interfaces;

a step of extracting attribute information of said interfaces from said control information;

a step of storing said attribute information;

a step of selecting one of the interfaces that has an attribute that suits predetermined conditions; and

a step of changing to the selected interface.

13. A control program of a mobile node equipped with two or more interfaces, comprising the processes of;

enabling the mobile node to function as a generating unit to generate control information for each of said interfaces;

enabling the mobile node to function as an exchanging unit to exchange said control information with each of said interfaces;

enabling the mobile node to function as an extracting unit to extract attribute information of said interfaces based on said control information;

enabling the mobile node to function as a storage unit to store said attribute information;

enabling the mobile node to function as a selecting unit to select one of the interfaces that has an attribute that suits predetermined conditions; and

enabling the mobile node to function as an information providing unit for providing the control information provided by each of said interfaces to an upper layer.